Battery clamp



Much 1o. 1925.` A.. scHULTE BATTERY cLAMr' Filled Nav. e, lega Ill/1112x110.

Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES A 1.529.450 PATENT OFFICE.

Lors soHUnTE', 'or annecy, ILLINOIS.

BATTERY cnam.

Application led November 6, 1922. Serial No. 599,371.

To all "whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALoIs SCHULTE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Quincy, in the county of Adams and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery Clamps, of which the followingisa description.

My invention relates to improvements in battery clamps, `and more particularly to a 1o clamp of such a vcharacter used for the purpose of connecting the terminal lead of a battery post.'

One of the objects ,of m invention is to rovide a clamp of the ind described which will vfirmly hold-the battery p ost in place in a'good electrical contact without the necessity of soldering theconnection ,thereat. l

Another object of my invention is to rovide a battery Yclamp of the kind described which, while composed of several parts, may be assembled so as to be substantially unitary and without danger of the parts disengaging during use, packing, shipping, or

the like.

, Other objects .of my invention are the vproduction o f a device of the kind described which lwill be simple, compact, durable economical, convenient, efficient and satis actory for use wherever found applicable.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of partsherein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. y

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, Fig. 1 is aplan view'of the device as applied to a battery post and viewed from a ove' Fig? 2 is a longitudinal section view therethrough; r

Fig. 3 is -a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1-;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line '4-4 of Fig. 1;

F1 5 is a top vplan view of the clampin b ock, and

ig. 6 is -an end view thereof.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferredembodiment of my invention, 1 indicates the terminal lead which is -to be connected to a battery post 2. The connector or clamp for securing the terce minal lead to the battery post comprises a yoked member 8, having a recess or elongated slot 4 therethrough, one end of` said slot being preferably curved or arcuate, as at 5, to fit the post, the center of the arc o5 being of a radius substantially equal to that of the radius of the battery ost. Howeverin case the battery p ost is ormed with a cross section other than cylindrical, theclampend 5 is of course corres ondingly 70 formed to conform to the shape o the post.

'The' other end of the slot may be curved,

as at 6, if so desired, althou h this is not essential. Offset from the yo ed ortion 3 and integral therewith is an arm having a bore 8 therein adapted to snugly receive the terminal lead 1, which may be retained therein in any suitable manner, the axis of the -bore 8 preferably intersecting the center of the circle from which the., arc 8o 5 is drawn.

It will be noted that the yoke member 3is reduced in thickness between the opposite ends of the slot so as to provide shoulders or abutments 9 Vat the batte end of said yoke, and that t ere is athreaded boss 10 provided at the-other end of the `yoke through which a set-screw 11, having an outer end or head 12, may be 4adjustably inserted. The inner end of the set-,screw 1s co formed with a reduced neck portion 13, and the tip ofl said screw beyond-the neck portion is enlarged as at 14, for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

1 .sndably or adjustabl 'pps-.aimed within .a5

the slot 4 and remova le therefrom is a clamping block 15, having one end arcuately recessed, as at 16, said. arcuate recess or face 'opposin thearcuate end of the slot 4. The

the clamping block opposite the A- walls of the slot 4, are preferably channelsides o shaped, the anes 17 of said. channel overhanging the si e walls of the slot 4 and spaced apart therefrom a distance to permit considerable play between the block andthe 'oke portion of'theclamp. The wall of the lock forming the inner surface or web of the channel is similarly spaced away from the cooperating surface of the oke, as at 18,

at both. sides of 4the block, so to permit n0 post receiving 85 play between the block and the yoke transversely of the direction in which the screw 11 extends, and transversely to the direction in which the play between the flanges 17 is permitted. By providingthe play as hereinbefore described it is possible to get a perfect it or contact between the clamping block and battery post and so compensatefor any irregularities therein. In order that the block 15 may be detachably held in place, the meeting edge of one of its walls 18 and the top wall 19 is beveled or cut away, as at 20, .the other edge between the top wall and the other wall 18 being also removed in a manner to be hereinafter described, so that the blocklmay be rotated in the slot to disengage the shoulders 17 therefrom and permit the block to drop out or be lifted out.

Through the top wall 19 of the block an opening 21 is formed, said opening extending to one of the sides 18, and of a size to rotatably receive the reduced neck portion 13 of the screw. This opening is undercut from the side 18 below the surface 19, as at 22, to provide an enlarged chamber below the opening 21, and through which the enlarged portion 14 of the screw may be inserted from said side of the block. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the block is released from the screw 11, or is brought into operative engagement therewith, it being apparent that said engagement or release may take place simply by rotating the block in the manner shown. When the block is in the position shown in full lines, it may be reciprocated either to clamp against the battery post or moved in a d1- rection away therefrom, simply by actuating the screw 11, its reciprocatory movement being limited by the shoulders 9 and the boss 10. By forming the clamp in the manner above described, the parts may be constructed inexpensively, and be assembled for packing and will stand any amount of handling without becoming` disengaged from one another, and yet, althoug'h the device is substantially unitary, the block may be removed from the device for any purpose, as

for renewal, inspection or the like. l

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications ma'y be made in the same without de- Earting from the spirit of my invention; ence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction,

arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned'. A

What I claim as new andv desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. Av battery connector comprisin means for attachment to a terminal lead, a atterypost-receiving part having a slotted yoke, a

-clamping block removably positioned in said yoke and slidably and rotatably movable therein to engage said battery post, and means detachably engageable with said block for reciprocatorily moving it in the yoke, but normally preventing disengagement therewith.

2. A battery Aconnector comprising means for connection to a terminal lead, a batterypost-receiving part having a slotted yoke, a clamping block slidable in said yoke to engage the' battery post, the opposed surfaces of said block and yokespaced, apart to provide -play therebetween in a pair of mutually transverse directions, but not suiiicient to permit the block to drop through said yoke, said block having portions thereof removed so that it may be rotated within saidl yoke and be removed therefrom, and means detachably engageable with said block for adjustably holding it in position.

3. A battery connector comprising means for attachment to a terminal lead, a batterypost-receiving part having a slottedl yoke, a clamping block slidable in said yoke and provided with channelled sides whose flanges overhang the opposite sides of the yokeand normally prevent the block from dropping therethrough, one face of said block cut away to engageably receive said battery post and the opposite face having an opening therein extending laterally to one of said channelled sides, said opening being undercut below saidA last-mentioned face to provide overhanging shoulders extending inwardly from said last-mentioned channelled side, said last-mentioned face being bevelled at one edge, whereby the block may be rotated in the yoke and removed therefrom, and a screw adjustably secured in the yoke to extend therei-nto and having an enlarged end to enter laterally in the opening in the -block from the channelled side thereof and to bear against the under surface of said shoulders overhanging the undercut opening.

4. A battery connector comprising means for connection to a terminal lead, a batterylpost-receiving part having a slotted yoke, a

clamping block slidable in said yoke and having play therewith and engageable with the battery post, saidblock being rotatable within said yoke so that it may be removed therefrom, and means detachably engageable with said block for holding it iu adJusted position.

5. A battery connector comprising means for attachment to a terminal lead, a batterypost-receiving part having a slotted yoke, a clamping block slidable in said yoke and provided with a flange overhanging the yoke, one face of said block cut away to engage said battery post and the opposite face having anl opening therein extending laterally to one of the sides, saidopening being undercut to provide an over-hanging shoulder extending inwardly from said last-mentioned side, said last-mentloned face being beve-lled at one edge so that the blook may In testimony whereof, I have hereunto asbe rot-ated inthe yoke and removed theresigned my name in the presence of two subfrom, and means adjustably secured in the scribing witnesses.

yoke and having an enlarged end to enter ALOIS SCHULTE. 5 laterally in the opening in the block and to Witnesses:

bear against the under surface of said shoul- WAYNE KEMP,

der that overhangs the undercut opening. WM. E. MEYER. 

